Baby Mango is wailing in his play nest. Saliva is dribbling down his chin and he stops between wails to suck on his itchy gums, look back at me to see if I'm coming and continue wailing. I finish up what I am writing, toss the noodles in the wok, wash my hands and pick him up. He instantly stops crying and begins to gurgle. I put him down. He starts again. I wash a few dishes before the wailing gets unbearable then pick him up again and kiss him all over his face.
He smiles briefly before his mouth turns down at the corners. I kiss him again. I know he wants to please me by smiling but he is still sad.
"Baby, please don't cry. I'm trying to write so I can make money for you to go to private school. Like a proper Tory, eh?" I place Baby Mango over one hip and flick between documents to check that my writing makes sense. Then I type for a bit with one hand. I can hear BM gearing up for another wail. He takes a deep breath...
"Not now baby, seriously. What do you want? Are you hot? I changed your nappy and you've just had some milk. Do you just want a cuddle?"
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I juggle him as I type a few more sentences. Then I throw in all the vegetables and condiments into the wok. "You've got to let me make dinner. I haven't even had lunch yet and daddy won't have anything to eat when he comes back." I put BM down again give the whole wok a final toss, turn off the stove and pick him up again before he can cry.
Later when BM is in bed and his daddy comes back, he makes straight for the wok: "Mmmmm, nice." He shoves a forkful in his mouth straight from the wok and chews thoughtfully. "This is delicious!"
"It's rubbish. BM didn't let me cook or do anything properly today really."
"Nonsense. You keep saying that. Taste this." I grudgingly open my mouth and take the fork. "Not bad."
"You're crazy. It great." Mango is eating greedily from the wok. I watch him for a moment.
"Maybe I should become a chef instead? How long will it take me to make money? 5 years?"
Mango almost chokes. "I'd stick with the writing if were you - for now at least. Those kitchens are brutal."
I eye him and resolve to play the lottery tomorrow. You never know...
